The U.S. Department of State has announced the selection of Jonathan Patches of Manheim for a 10-month Fellowship project training teachers and teaching English in Uzbekistan at Andijan State University. Patches is one of only 200 U.S. citizens selected for the 2019-20 English Language Fellow Program.
Patches will provide English instruction to university students and faculty in Uzbekistan. Previously, he spent 14 years based in Kunming, China, where he taught English to university and high school students. He graduated from Terre Hill Mennonite High School in 1999, Yunnan Normal University with a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese language in 2007, and Biola University with a Master of Arts in TESOL in 2016.
Through the English Language Fellow Program, experienced teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) are given an opportunity to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. embassies in more than 80 countries, Fellows work directly with local teachers, students, and educational professionals to improve the quality of English language instruction offered at universities and other academic institutions.
Since 1969, the English Language Fellow Program has sent thousands of TESOL scholars and educators abroad to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. On assignment, Fellows teach English, conduct teacher training, develop resources, and organize events and conferences. The program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can enhance their TESOL careers in the United States.
English Language Fellows are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Fellow Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.
For further information about the English Language Fellow Program or the U.S. Department of State, readers may visit https://exchanges.state.gov/us/program/english-language-fellow-program, call 202-632-6452, or email ECA-Press@state.gov.
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